Decrease in pus production in an infected bite: always a good thing, or could it mean something bad?

My cat was bitten by another cat and for the last month we've been treating him at home with antibiotics and betadine (under the care of a veterinarian). For the past two weeks there's been major pus (which we drained) but it has suddenly dropped to almost zero. Great, right? However, it's accompanied with mild fever and lethargy. Are the two possibly linked?

The lethargy thing would concern me greatly, and I'd probably be on the phone with vet seeing how soon I could get in.posted by batmonkey at 12:29 PM on May 4, 2012 [2 favorites]

Go with the known bad sign. The pus may have nothing to do with the sudden fever and lethargy. Definitely ask the vet.posted by DoubleLune at 12:53 PM on May 4, 2012

The bite and lethargy could be linked...or they could not. But we can't give you a definite answer. The vet possibly can.

But, if a wound has less pus now than it did before that means that the wound is healing.posted by dfriedman at 12:56 PM on May 4, 2012

Or it could mean its no longer draining externally. I'd take him to the get ASAP.posted by fshgrl at 1:00 PM on May 4, 2012

Yes, vet. When my kitty had a fever, the lethargy was a side effect of that - but the fact remains that you have a cat with a known health issue who has also developed a fever. You should try to find out why.posted by something something at 1:24 PM on May 4, 2012

IANAV, but I do rescue/foster cats on a regular basis. A visit to the vet is probably in order, and sooner rather than later. Cat wounds are notoriously quick to close over before they're totally healed. Even when treated with antibiotics, I've encountered multiple feline abscesses that appear to be on the mend (drainage stops, wound heals, swelling decreases) for a few days before the abscess reforms. If there's a continuing fever, especially when accompanied by lethargy, something's still going on. Plus, cats prefer to hide weakness so if you're noticing the lethargy, it's significant.

If your vet hasn't already put in a Penrose drain, you may want to ask if that is something that might be helpful in this case.posted by muirne81 at 1:41 PM on May 4, 2012

Take him to the vet. I had a similar situation with my cat, and the vet had to surgically open the wound more fully and flush it out because it had stopped draining externally, but the infection was still there.posted by jessian at 1:52 PM on May 4, 2012

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